Podcast of the speech

Spent this morning listening to Lord Carter talk about his report on Digital Britain. it is interesting to note that all reports are published and distributed in hard copy, A usb stick would have been so much nicer.

The substance is broadly positive, a recognition that if you plan to extend the broadband network, it makes no sense to do it using the exisiting copper wire infrastructure.

The headlines have been grabbed with tales of 'topslicing the BBC' with licence fees being shared with ITV. but the report suggests that if the aim is promote independant and impartial news then it should not become a monopoly of the state or a single broadcaster.  In theory this could mean funding for community radio, local TV etc. In reality...

The other headline is the phone levy.  The aim of providing a ringfenced income to achieve the modest aims of the report is Lord Carter's veiw.  I am a little more cynical and suspect that 50p a year to support the development of the infrastructure could be as permanent as the 10 shillings (50p) original cost of the licence fee in 1924.

your thoughts?